In the Philippines, the Church of San Agustín in Intramuros, Manila is a survivor. The current church on the site is a large Baroque stone construction, completed in 1606 and still standing despite earthquakes, invasions, and typhoons. Not even the Second World War, which crushed the rest of the Intramuros, could overthrow San Agustín.
Today’s church visitors can appreciate what the war failed to remove: the High Renaissance façade, the trompe l’oeil ceilings, and the monastery, which was turned into a museum of church relics and art.
- Walk the Walls – Read our Intramuros walking tour.
History of the church of San Agustín
When the Augustinian order arrived in Intramuros, they were the first missionary order in the Philippines. These pioneers settled in Manila through a small church made of straw and bamboo. It was christened the Iglesia y Monasterio de San Pablo in 1571, but the building didn’t last long: it caught fire (along with much of the surrounding city) when the Chinese pirate Limahong tried to conquer Manila in 1574. A second The church, made of wood , suffered the same fate.
On the third attempt, the Augustinians were lucky: the stone structure they completed in 1606 survives to this day.
For the past 400 years, the church has served as an eyewitness to the history of Manila. The founder of Manila, the Spanish conqueror Miguel López de Legaspi, is buried at this site. (His bones were mixed with other deceased after British invaders ransacked the church for its valuables in 1762)
When the Spanish surrendered to the Americans in 1898, Spanish Governor General Fermín Jaudenes negotiated the terms of the surrender in the parish council of the Church of San Agustín.
The church of San Agustín during the Second World War
When the Americans recaptured Manila from the Japanese in 1945, retreating Imperial forces committed atrocities there, massacring unarmed clergymen and worshipers inside the crypt of St. Augustine’s Church.
The church monastery did not survive WWII, it burned down and was later rebuilt. In 1973, the monastery was renovated into a museum of religious relics, art, and treasures.
Along with a handful of other Baroque churches in the Philippines, the Church of San Agustin was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. In the next few years, the church will undergo a massive renovation effort, in part underwritten by the Government. from Spain. ( fountain )
- Heritage Hunt: Read about the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Southeast Asia.
Architecture of the church of San Agustín
The churches built by the Augustinians in Mexico served as a model for the Iglesia de San Agustin in Manila, although adjustments had to be made for local climatic conditions and the quality of construction material mined in the Philippines.
The compromises led to a fairly simple facade by the baroque standards of the time, although the church is not completely devoid of detail: Chinese ‘fu’ dogs stand in the courtyard, a nod to the Chinese cultural presence in the Philippines and beyond. from them. , an intricately carved set of wooden doors.
Inside the church, the finely detailed ceiling immediately catches the eye. The work of Italian decorative artisans Alberoni and Dibella, trompe l’oeil ceilings bring sterile plaster to life: geometric designs and religious themes explode on the ceiling, creating a three-dimensional effect with paint and imagination alone.
At the other end of the church, a golden altarpiece (reredo) occupies the center of the stage. The pulpit is also gilded and decorated with pineapple and flowers, a true baroque original.
- Pray: Check out our list of the top churches in the Philippines.
The museum of the church of San Agustín
The former church monastery now houses the museum: a collection of works of religious art, relics and ecclesiastical accessories used throughout the history of the church, the oldest pieces dating from the founding of Intramuros.
The only surviving piece of an earthquake-damaged bell tower stands guard at the entrance: a 3-ton bell inscribed with the words, “The sweetest name of Jesus.” The reception room (Sala Receidor ) now houses ivory statues and jeweled church objects.
As you visit the other aisles, you will pass oil paintings of Augustinian saints, as well as old carriages ( floats ) used for religious processions. As you enter the old sacristy ( Capitulation Room , named after the surrender terms negotiated here in 1898), you will find more church paraphernalia. The next room, the Sacristy, displays more prosaic items: Chest drawers made in China, Aztec doors, and more religious art.
Finally, you will find the old refectory, an old dining room that was later turned into a crypt. Here is a monument to the victims of the Imperial Japanese Army, the site where more than a hundred innocent souls were killed by the retreating Japanese forces.
Going up the stairs, visitors can visit the old monastery library, a porcelain room and a vestment room, along with an access room to the church choir, which carries an ancient pipe organ.
Visitors to the museum pay an entrance fee of P100 (about $ 2.50). The museum is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with lunch between 12 noon and 1 p.m.
